


Thermos of Tea

by elletromil



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-17 19:57:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9340919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elletromil/pseuds/elletromil
Summary: He sits down and Merlin rewards his obedience by brushing his hair back and pressing a small kiss on his forehead, as if he needed more positive reinforcement than just his presence. The contact of lips against skin is fleeting, a mere second at best, but the fingers in his hair linger as they take a moment to simply take in each other.It's the morning after Percival spent his first night over at Merlin's.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thatgirlwho](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatgirlwho/gifts), [InsaneRedDragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneRedDragon/gifts).



> As always my headcanon name for Percival is Richard.

Richard wakes up in an unfamiliar bed, his face pressed against a pillow that smells like comfort and safety. He would be hard-pressed to fight off the smile that curls his lips when he realises just _whose_ smell it is and the memories of last night came trickling by.

For all that it was the first time Richard spent the night over at Merlin’s, not much happened besides some pretty intense cuddling.

He’s far from complaining, however. Others might consider that their first date have died a quick death when Merlin had been forced to stay at HQ to help with an emergency involving a few of Kingsman’s different branches, but he’ll gladly call it a success just because they ended the day snuggling close together in the same bed.

He would rather have started this day the same way, but he can’t say he is surprised to find out Merlin isn’t the type to linger in bed after waking up.

He considers staying in his cocoon of warmth and blanket for a moment, but if he’s not mistaken, he can smell bacon and the last thing he ate was a quick sandwich the previous afternoon just before all hell broke lose. He’s only grateful that he had had time to make one for Merlin too.

He doesn’t particularly wants to dress up in the clothes he was wearing yesterday, but not only is he not the same built as Merlin, but the handler as maybe one suit total that Richard doesn’t feel up to hunt for in the closet. His slightly creased shirt will have to do until they go back to the shop and he can change into something cleaner.

He’s pleased to see he wasn’t mistaken about the bacon when he finally steps in the sunny kitchen. He doesn’t indulge often, but he thinks today is special enough an occasion that he won’t feel guilty eating a whole plate.

He’s about to ask Merlin if he can help him with anything, but the other is already setting a plate down on the table and looking expectantly at him. He doesn’t need to be told to know that will probably his place from now on and he cannot help the small smile that curls his lips once more.

He sits down and Merlin rewards his obedience by brushing his hair back and pressing a small kiss on his forehead, as if he needed more positive reinforcement than just his presence. The contact of lips against skin is fleeting, a mere second at best, but the fingers in his hair linger as they take a moment to simply take in each other.

The moment breaks when Merlin leans for another kiss again and Richard, knowing already that more than a kiss in the morning will be a rare occurrence, savour that other second of physical affection.

Breakfast for Merlin is different than his is, a simple porridge with fruits and what is probably a dash of cinnamon from the smell of it, and Richard makes sure he conveys everything to memory. There will be a time when he’ll want to surprise Merlin with breakfast in bed and he already wants it to be as perfect as it could be.

They don’t speak at all during their meal, but it’s the most comfortable silence they’ve shared yet, one without fear of interruption from anyone else, where their little bubble on familiarity and affection has no chance of being bursted by the horrors of the outside world. And what they don’t say with words, they say with how their feet brush together, not with a teasing intention, but simply because they need their hands to eat and this is the next best thing to actually holding hands. Somehow to Richard, the weight of Merlin’s sockless foot on top of his own is more intimate than if their finger had been linked together. From the contentedness rolling off in waves from the handler, he thinks he’s not the only one who feels the same.

Sooner than he would have liked, it’s time to for them to return to the shop. He wants to help with cleaning the dishes, but he’s waved off and just this once, Richard let it go without a fight. They’ll have plenty of time dividing the chores between them in the future.

When Merlin joins him, jacket on and scarf around his neck, he cannot help a small amused snort. He’s known for a long time that Merlin doesn’t really care about his appearance, but he would have thought he would have noticed he had missed a button at least. He adjusts the jacket and smooth down his scarf and doesn’t resist his impulse to press a small kiss to the tip of Merlin’s nose.

Merlin’s little chuckle at the action feels like an even bigger victory than dismantling that drug ring last month and Richard has no doubt he’ll be flying that high all day, when he’s not internally melting at the memory of how warm and loving Merlin’s dark eyes can get in the right conditions. He’s pretty sure that if Merlin were to be looking at him at all time that way, he would never need a coat, even on the odd mission in Siberia.

Neither have called for a taxi, far more preferring walking the distance between Merlin’s flat to the shop. They don’t hold hands on the way in, but their shoulders brush together unnecessarily every few steps and they share private smiles every time their eyes meet. Not that many people would call the slight upturn of their lips a smile, but for anyone who know them, they are as good as beaming at each other like the silly old fools in love that they are.

They go their separate ways once they’ve made it to the shop, because Arthur is waiting on Merlin for some meeting or another and Richard intends to make good use of the gun range at HQ since he’s not been on any mission for a few weeks, but they don’t really mind it. They’ll get together again soon enough and if Richard cannot hack into the cameras in the shop to keep an eye on Merlin like the handler will do for him with the camera at HQ, at least he’s got a thermos of hot tea, made exactly to his liking, to get him by until their lunch break.


End file.
